Volvo Adds Eye-Tracking to Its Trucks: Safety Net or Surveillance?
Starting November 2025, Volvo’s medium and heavy-duty trucks in Europe will come fitted with an upgraded Driver Alert Support system — complete with an in-cabin eye-tracking camera designed to spot fatigue or distraction before it turns dangerous.
The technology pairs two cameras for layered monitoring. A newly added eye-tracking unit, mounted above the side display, registers where the driver’s gaze is actually directed. Meanwhile, an existing forward-facing camera continues to monitor lane discipline, steering corrections and overall driving behavior. If the system judges that attention is slipping, a warning appears on screen accompanied by an audible chime. Ignore it, and the alerts grow sharper and harder to dismiss.
Volvo stresses that this is more than just a safety enhancement. The move ensures compliance with the EU’s forthcoming General Safety Regulation (GSR2), which from July 2026 mandates that all new trucks be equipped with an Advanced Driver Distraction Warning system. In other words, Volvo is not merely raising the bar on safety — it is also ticking the regulatory box ahead of time.
The debate, however, will not be confined to Brussels or Gothenburg. To some, the eye-tracking camera will represent an invisible co-pilot, another layer of protection for long-haul drivers battling fatigue. To others, it may feel like the thin end of a wedge — an unblinking eye in the cab that marks the next step in the industry’s slow march toward tighter surveillance of human operators.
